Are pistachios safe?

By: Nicci Micco | Wednesday, April 8, 2009

First it was tainted peanut butter. Now, we’re hearing that some pistachios may not be safe. On March 30, 2009, the FDA reported that
pistachios from Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc., may be contaminated with Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause serious
(sometimes fatal) infections in young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems.

ADVERTISEMENT

At the time of the FDA release, there wasn’t proof that tainted pistachios had made anyone sick; still, as a safety
precaution, Setton recalled about a million pistachio products. The FDA told consumers to avoid eating pistachios and
products containing them unless they could verify that the nuts did not come from Setton. (A searchable list of affected
products is available on the FDA’s website, fda.gov/pistachios).

But if you’d prefer to munch on other nuts, there are plenty of healthy options. Here are three others we love:

1. Almonds: A June 2006 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed an ounce of almonds provides as many
flavonoids—compounds that fight free radicals and reduce inflammation—as a 1/2-cup serving of broccoli or a cup of green tea.
Try them in Flourless Honey-Almond Cake.

2. Pecans: In the journal Nutrition Research, researchers from Loma Linda University reported that pecans contribute
significant amounts of gamma-tocopherol, the major form of vitamin E in U.S. diets. Pecans also provide notable amounts of
zinc, a mineral most often found in animal-based foods. Try them in Cajun Pecan-Crusted Catfish.